


Waiting for the Bruises to Fade

by iamamuggle14



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e05 Midsummers, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ Has Feelings For Kiara (Outer Banks), John B needs to do better, Kiara Has Feelings For JJ (Outer Banks), Mutual Pining, Protective JJ (Outer Banks), Protective Kiara (Outer Banks), Rafe is a you-know-what
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29958876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamamuggle14/pseuds/iamamuggle14
Summary: “Pardon me, officer. No, there’s not an issue. I just…” he takes another deep breath, glaring over at the Kooks that filled the locker room. Just then, as he focuses back on the man, outside the bathroom door he sees Kiara staring back at him, arms crossed, back stiff, and if looks could kill… "Or Kiara finds JJ during the ambush.
Relationships: JJ & John B. Routledge, JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	Waiting for the Bruises to Fade

**Author's Note:**

> Set during S1:E5 "Midsummers"
> 
> This is the second time I've written The Twirl and I have no regrets.

JJ would be lying if he said the words weren’t still ringing in his head even half an hour later. It was dysregulated, his habit of letting the ugliest sentiments float around for so long, long after they’ve been screamed, slurred, shouted or spat at him. Forty five minutes go by, the sun just starting to caress the horizon, and he can still hear them clear as day.

Small talk is made and even a few jokes - because he was never taught a better way to disguise the sting - but his stubborn brain would not let him forget and forgive. 

That was partly a lie because JJ would probably die before he saw the day in which he didn’t forgive John B. He was his best friend, his brother, his very own partner in crime - he couldn’t just _not_ forgive him, right? Even if he shouldn’t sometimes? Even when the kid was throwing himself head first into danger and dragging JJ along, not considering the consequences because doing so was never his forte. Even when John B would shut him out sometimes a little too loudly, too consumed with his own agenda, too stuck in his head for his own good.

It was a sight JJ had become all too familiar with but leaving was never an option, really. He couldn’t leave people for slipping up or stepping on him because he would simply get _left behind_.

So he would always forgive and follow and at least try to forget. 

That was his strategy, always has been, regardless if it could use some work on the last part. Forgiving was what kept people in his life and he knew beggars didn’t get the luxury of being choosers - and oh, did he know that - so instead of leaving John B’s side, instead of taking a little more control of the situation at hand, he let his friend lead. He let him call the shots, let him carelessly spew anything that had come to his mind to get JJ to follow him, even if it meant crossing an unspoken line drawn years ago, one he should know better than to cross just from experience. 

So yeah, JJ let’s him get away with his words. And despite the language of lying resembling the effort it took to breath on most days, JJ would never admit how much they stuck, how heavy they felt, how they lingered in a special place usually reserved for words from a certain someone who shared his last name and sometimes his temper. 

John B was always reckless with his words, anyway, more often than not speaking them in the way that reflected his behavior as a kid, when his dad first taught him how to surf or how to drive a boat. Unsure but passionate nonetheless. 

JJ never felt comfortable faulting him for it, sometimes seeing himself in the boys actions so there was no negotiating at that point. 

He also let him get away with guiding them into the lion’s den that was Midsummers because if he didn’t, at least this one time… it would surely go further to shit, he told himself as he tiredly gathered his backpack, trying to ignore the tension that sat between them. Whether it was actually there or not, the effect felt real enough. The masquerade went up as JJ tried to hype himself up for what they were about to do. 

John B probably didn’t even remember saying it by the time they anchored the boat. 

The setting sun has left the sky pink and hazy, probably doing John B a favor with hiding his blush but not so much his flustered excuses. JJ let’s himself tease the guy a little, partly because he can’t help himself when the opportunity arises but also because he doesn’t really let the concept sink in that his friend was macking the Kook princess, then having the dignity to claim it as doing everyone a service. 

“You know, could you just hold still?” John B mutters impatiently, pulling the tie from the backpack in the sand and swinging it around JJ’s neck, refusing to meet his eyes. JJ starts buttoning the dress shirt that felt slightly suffocating in the humid air, glancing at the scene they were about to throw themselves in, a sick feeling in his stomach as he repeats the plan. 

“So I just give this to Sarah? Huh?” 

“Yes, just give it to Sarah. Hold steady.” 

“Vlad.” he teases again, mumbling “Really?” 

He half expects and half hopes for a moment of relief from the tension that may or may not exist, only to have his stomach drop again when John B pulls the gun out of JJ’s backpack, holding it with a disbelieving expression. 

“Are you kidding me, man?” 

His friends could think all they wanted about his so-called protection but JJ couldn’t find it in himself to get rid of the gun. It was only barely a joke when he called it so because in his eyes, protection was what it was and with everything they’ve been through lately, he was on edge, feeling defensive when they gave him shit about carrying it with him. With cops and Kooks breathing down his neck and tensions running high… 

_‘You just wanna leave ‘cause you got your ass beat?’_

He urges the words away once again for what feels like the hundredth time, fingers stiffly working at his collar, shaking his head. “No, I’m not kidding you.” 

“JJ, if you get caught with this thing you’re going to jail!” John B whisper-shouts, shaking the gun between them, that same determined look on his face he got whenever he needed JJ to really hear him. 

JJ holds back about five comments about his already-existing relationship with jail - all shamelessly overly reliant on sarcasm - and settles for following John B once again, not hiding what must come across as some kind of paranoia, judging from the look he gets after conceding. 

“Fine, but if I get ambushed, it’s on you.” 

\---

By the time they split up, JJ finds himself in a ball of nerves, the same nerves that show themselves in the form of quick wit and fidgety movements, sometimes seen as obnoxious and cocky. It’s never intentional but over time he’s found it to be way more comfortable than giving into the overbearing feeling of not belonging and the restricting hyper awareness of everyone relentlessly judging him. 

JJ didn’t care for criticisms and was no stranger to confidence, but it usually came when he at least knew his surroundings or recognized a face or two. Looking around now, neither applied and he was practically counting down the minutes to when he found Sarah, delivered the stupid note and could get as far away as possible. 

If nervous energy was what got him through the night then it definitely wouldn’t be the first time, especially being surrounded by Kooks. 

As he holds the tray of drinks, his eyes dart around the crowd, some focus on not dropping the tray and drawing even more attention to himself and some on his actual surroundings. 

Expensive dresses, suits and nameless faces all seemed to blur together in the humid summer air. The sky was dark now, strings of bistro lights illuminating the night while the live band competed with the laughter and chatter. 

Some type of fake floral decor hung from the low ceiling, intertwined with some other type of stringed lights and JJ stared at it for a while, debating how ugly it was. He couldn’t tell if the thought was bred from his taste in decoration - or lack thereof - or if it was from the fact that the whole setup reminded him of the way Kiara would get pissed off when talking about how after Kooks used the fake greenery at their parties, they were typically thrown away right after. Now that he finally has a good idea of what she was always talking about, she wasn’t wrong in thinking it was really fucking wasteful. 

Then again, Kiara usually wasn’t wrong when he thought about it. 

He spots her parents dancing by a set of sliding doors to the house, smiling and moving to the beat of the music, the music JJ didn’t much care for because maybe he was just being biased but it was making him want to forget the note and leave as fast as possible. He’s not surprised when he doesn’t find Kiara near them, momentarily wondering if she was even there at all. She always said how she never liked being stuck to her parents like a magnet at parties, always wanting to go off on her own if she was already being forced to attend in the first place. 

Just then, an old man who JJ thinks he remembers the name of walks up to him, pointing a finger at him. His brain acts on some instinct he didn’t really know the origin of just then.

“Yes?”

“Dewar’s and tonic.” the man replies in a nasally voice. 

“Right away, Mr. Dunleavy. Be right there.” he lies, giving a fake smile as he risks the name, feeling satisfied when the man walks off with no confrontation. 

He carefully rearranges a few glasses on the tray, making his way through the dancing bodies when he sees Topper, Kelce and Rafe talking to a few other kids JJ didn’t know the names of. He unconsciously scoffs just as he finds Sarah, placing the tray down to reach for the note when someone grabs his arm, pulling him off to the side. 

His heart jumps into his throat at the contact and only when he realizes it’s a familiar face do his muscles slowly relax. 

Pope usually isn’t the one that comes to mind when thinking about people who hide their doubts well but even JJ expected better than the sight in front of him. He’s a hot mess, squeezing him tight and not letting go, not being able to stop the ‘I’m sorry’s’, not even trying to hide his full on uncertainty he had towards their gold hunt. JJ didn’t really understand it. They were so close, how could he not see that? Sure, some pretty far-fetched things had to happen in their favor and maybe JJ was being optimistic but he let himself believe it was all going to work out, for once. 

He reassures him in the way he had learned took the quickest with Pope, straight and to the point, leaving little room for debate, pushing down the same hesitancy that filled him up when Pope felt off or John B wasn’t in his face doing him the same favor he was doing for Pope. 

He delivers the note and the second time someone grabs his arm is less kind to him. 

He nearly runs into a baby blue tux with Rafes hands on his shoulders, a condescending glint in his eyes as he casually interrupts JJ’s mental string of curses, putting on the act he played so well when there were older eyes around, eyes that belonged to adults that wouldn’t hesitate to throw them out should they start something. 

“I’m wonderin’ if you could get me a mai tai, my friend.”

“Yeah, _Pogue._ How ‘bout you make that two?” 

JJ’s quick to stall, one of the skills he’s improved on over the years of being asked why he doesn’t show up to school sometimes or why he spent so much time away from home. He runs excuse after excuse, mind racing to find a way out that doesn’t land him cornered by a bunch of assholes, especially without his ‘protection’. 

“Until then, ah, help yourself to some hors d’oeuvres.” he points over to the bar, pretending like he knows exactly what he’s talking about, pretending he’s not about to make a scene. 

_Fuck fuck fuck-_

“I’ll be right back, okay?” 

His voice rambles and his body fumbles and before he knows it he’s running, pulling open doors, grabbing chairs to block his trail and sidestepping person after person. 

His shoe catches on the edge of a particularly thick rug but he recovers in an instant, trying to stay calm as he scans for an escape. 

He doesn’t know the house that well so as he flies past random guests and rooms, hearing some unpleasant comments thrown at him along the way, his legs choose to go further into the maze of hallways, eventually landing him in a bathroom. 

“Shit, shit, shit-” he mumbles, heart beating out of his chest, cursing John B without thinking as he grabs at a stalls handle, thinking hiding might be his best bet when he gets an angry reply in return. 

“Come on,” he runs a hot hand through his hair just as he turns the corner, hearing Rafe’s voice echo throughout the locker room. 

Turning on his heel, he’s met with a shove to the chest, pushing him back into a pair of strong arms, pulling him toward a bench in the middle of the room. He struggles to find his footing as he’s dragged, spitting out a sarcastic remark just as he’s thrown into Kelce’s body. 

He’s just about to escape when an arm wraps around his chest, the other holding the back of his head in a headlock, holding on as if they’ve done this before. 

JJ’s chest tightens and for a moment pure panic slices through his limbs as he glances around the room, not lost on the fact that he’s well outnumbered. He yanks at the arms, pushing his body against Kelce’s but the boy’s grip is unwavering, surprisingly brawny and overwhelmingly tight as Rafe goes on about some stupid golf metaphor. 

JJ tugs the arm again when Rafe crouches down to get level with him, a smug look of curiosity on his face. 

“Your face looks really bad. Those from school or home-”

Rafe backs away just in time to miss JJ’s leg, letting out a cruel and satisfied laugh. The others join in and for a moment, all JJ wants is to lose consciousness so he doesn't have to see their faces or hear their taunts and fake laughs. 

Rafe settles down, pulling at the front of his suit jacket and slipping his hands in his pockets, as if it’s the most natural thing and as if he was having a casual conversation and not threatening JJ with everything but his words. 

“Actually starting to look like your dad a lot more, you know that? Have you looked in the mirror lately, JJ?”

JJ tries for a comeback but it only comes out as a choked gasp, apparently giving Rafe the impression it was safe to get closer again without being kicked because he does so with a bored expression, standing tall in front of JJ, looking down at him. 

He was older and taller and so was Kelce, that much was made obvious everytime JJ attempted to squirm free, only to feel the boy use his wider and taller frame to his advantage and hold him still. JJ pulls at the arm at his throat a little desperately, his head becoming dizzy and his vision going dark. 

“Now that I think of it, JJ, I happen to know a little about your old man’s habits.” Rafe shrugs, an exaggerated serious look on his face as he once again levels with JJ. “And using this prior knowledge I have, using these critical thinking skills us Kooks have, I would bet money that your dad doesn’t really get any trophies in the parenting department. Would that be correct?” 

JJ spits in his face, paying for it a second later when his vision goes completely black for a moment, feeling his legs almost give out beneath him. Rafe jerks back, cursing while wiping his face but his disdainful act was all but finished. Everyone around him continued to egg him on in the exceedingly profane performance. 

“Can’t say your dad is much better, Rafe.” JJ chokes out, watching the smile fall from Rafe’s face, only for it to return in a heartbeat. 

“You don’t know shit about my dad, JJ, why’re you lying? Do you like lying?” He starts to stretch his fingers, rubbing his knuckles as if about to finally throw the punch JJ had been dreading. 

_‘You just wanna leave ‘cause you got your ass beat?’_

Yeah, JJ thought distantly and bitterly, he was tired of _this_. 

He was sick of not knowing when the beating will come but knowing it will without question. Of waiting for the bruises to fade and the cuts to heal and the looks and questions to die down. 

“It’s not a good look on you, my friend, someone oughta wipe it off,” Rafe’s voice cuts through his thoughts, “Let me take care of that for you.”

JJ gives one last attempt at escaping the tightening grip around his throat, watching Rafe pull back his fist when the lights start blinking. 

JJ thinks he’s fortunately passed out, thinking the dimming lights were his vision blessing him with no longer having to watch the scene play out in front of him when Kelce releases him, shoving him away, causing him to lose his balance, trying to catch up with everything. 

“Gentlemen!” he hears an unfamiliar voice call out, “Is there a problem here, guys?”

JJ swallows hard, summoning his voice as he gets to his feet, trying to compose himself as he nearly falls into the wall. He tries to blink the dizziness away as he sees the man, recognizing him as the security guard he saw earlier. 

“Pardon me, officer. No, there’s not an issue. I just…” he takes another deep breath, glaring over at the Kooks that filled the locker room. Just then, as he focuses back on the man, outside the bathroom door he sees Kiara staring back at him, arms crossed, back stiff, and if looks could kill… 

“Actually, yes. No, there is an issue. Uh- we got a criminal trespass in progress here,” -he twirls his finger, glancing back at the Kooks- “Beep! Better call it in, right?” 

He swallows again, his throat painfully dry, improvising any excuse to get the fuck away from the older boys as he sways unsteadily on his feet.

“Blatant disrespect for private property…” 

“Yeah,” Rafe agrees, innocently scratching his ear, stepping away from JJ. “Yup.” 

JJ rolls his aching eyes, looking back at the man. “I’m in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these young gentlemen,” -he walks up to Kelce, getting what little taste of revenge he could possibly get by adjusting his bowtie before getting his hand slapped away- “uh… caught me, sir, and they were about to take me away, so…” 

His eyes meet Kiara’s again and something in his stomach flips at her expression. He gives the smallest of nods in her direction, in what he hopes looks something along the lines of ‘thank you’ before rambling on, hoping he gets his point across without sounding too desperate. 

“And that’s what you should do, sir, escort me outta here. You got me.” He holds up his shaking hands in a surrender, turning back towards the boys when the guard is guiding him away. 

“Alright. Fix that tie, son.” He risks just a little more, trying not to smirk at their fuming faces. “Oh! You’re lookin’ spiffy, too. You Powerpuff Girls have fun, alright?” 

Then Rafe gets the same wave of confidence, raising his voice to follow JJ as he’s pulled away. 

“Tell Kiara she looks pretty hot for a Pogue!”

JJ meets Kiara’s eyes just as he says it but the warning look she gives him doesn’t exactly register. Even as weak as he feels and as winded as he is he immediately pulls out of the security guards grip and turns, giving the boys exactly what they wanted. 

Another smug look of enjoyment crosses Rafes face as they collide, hands grabbing his shirt and arms shoving him away as they start to brawl.

“JJ! Stop!” 

Kiara’s voice breaks as she finally enters the room, just as the guard is trying to break up the fight. JJ gives up - for now - and lets the guard guide him away once again, if not a little reluctantly. 

“You think I’m afraid of you?!” he shouts, no longer able to contain the frustration he felt, maybe the same frustration that’s been building up all day. Now that he thinks of it, it was all a lost opportunity, not fighting them. At least then he would’ve had a nice little outlet right in front of him. 

“JJ, seriously, chill.” Kiara scolds, following the security guard out of the bathroom as he pulls JJ along. 

“Go fuck yourself, Rafe!” she calls out over her shoulder just before the door closes, receiving a few disturbed looks from the guests mingling around near the room and JJ only barely holds back a smile. 

As soon as they’re well away from the bathroom, Kiara steps in front of the security guard, shaking her head annoyed. 

“Okay, he’s fine here.”

“I don’t think so-” 

“I invited him here! You’re not just gonna boot him.” 

The guard gives her a suspicious glare and JJ tries not to drown in the amount of annoyance that boiled between the two as he awkwardly stood in the middle, still trying to steady his breath. 

“Who’d you say you were again?”

Kiara sets one hand on her hip while rubbing her temple with the other. “I’m a member of this club. Just let him go, he’ll be fine. Like I said, I don’t even think he started the fight, so.” 

The guard slowly releases JJ’s arm, already walking away from them when he adds, “Fine, but if I have to hear about him again, I’m going to have to walk him out.” 

Kiara nods, still not meeting JJ’s eyes. He’s about to ask her what’s wrong when she gently nudges him towards one of the sliding doors, gesturing outside and he obliges, reaching for a random drink off someone's tray on the way and downing it, hoping it gives him some strength back. 

“Fancy seeing you here, Kie. Honestly couldn’t be too sure whether or not you were gonna be here and you know I for sure don’t wanna be dressing up to play Kook at a party with some shitty music, but you know how John B is…” he tries to fill the stale air, trying to cheat and gauge her mood without outwardly asking her, although he gives himself some credit in knowing her like the back of his hand and knows what comes next can’t be good. 

Kiara ignores him and as soon as they’re both standing in the sand, not far from where JJ had stood with John B not an hour before, she lets go of him and crosses her arms again, looking a wild mix of emotions. 

He stands there, biting his cheek as he makes out her flower crown, trying not to focus on her lavender dress and the way it hugged her body or the way her brown curls framed her slightly flushed face. He’s hardly ever seen her in her ‘Kook getup’ and he can’t say he exactly hated it. 

The word beautiful comes to mind but before he could even begin to articulate a harmless little comment on how breathtaking she was, she’s stepping towards him and pulling him into a tight hug, not too different from the one Pope had enveloped him in earlier that night. 

“Woah,” he rasps out, trying not to cough at the dryness in his throat as he wraps his arms around her waist, failing in the process. 

She pulls away to let him catch his breath, peering at him concerned as he clears his throat. 

“Huh, all I have to do is get arrested and everyone just swarms me.” 

“What the hell was that, JJ?” 

He shakes his head innocently, pointing behind him at the house. “What, that?”

She gives him a ‘don’t bullshit me’ raise of her eyebrows and tilt of her head, raising her voice impatiently. “Yeah, I’d actually love to understand what the fuck just happend.”

“Well, what did it look like? I thought you were the one who reported it-”

“Dude, I’m serious! Did you start that?” 

He can’t help but scoff. “No, Kiara. I didn’t start it, Jesus. You know, contrary to popular belief, I don’t just go around looking for fights, alright. I just happen to find myself in the middle of them, sometimes-”

“So they ambushed you?”

He shrugs, flinching away when she reaches for his face, soft fingers gently tilting it so it’s near the light. She looks as if she’s been slapped and he gives a long sigh, turning his face back towards the darkness, trying to make out the dark shapes as a way to distract himself. 

“Did Rafe do that?” she asks, sounding nothing short of pissed off. He runs a hand through his hair, momentarily wishing she’d drop it this one time. 

“Uh, no. No, he didn’t actually get to the fun part before you busted in, believe it or not.” 

“So,” she looks confused for a second, stepping in front of him, “who was it then? Was it Shoupe?” 

“No! No, it’s…” he laughs, a painful, frustrated, I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-this laugh, “You know, my dad wasn’t too fond of finding out about the restitution. Plus me getting arrested never helps, either.” 

She stares at him, mouth open then closed then open again as it dawns on her. If he was really investing himself, really indulging in this moment of once again feeling that horrendous emotion known as pity, he’d think she looked guilty. 

“Jesus, JJ.” she breathes out quietly. 

“What?” he deflects, feeling a little too exposed all of a sudden and not liking the pain across her face one bit. “It’s fine, Kie-” 

“No it’s not-”

“Yes-”

“JJ, I don’t even know what’s happening, Pope didn’t tell me shit.” 

JJ glances back at the house, as if asking permission to spill. The damage has already been done, he thinks, but he did promise Pope he wouldn’t tell Kiara, specifically because they both knew what that would entail. “He made me promise I didn’t tell you,” he mutters lamely. 

“You serious?” she asks tiredly, knowing she’ll get him to cave, “I think we’re a little past that now-” 

“Don’t worry about it, okay? I just covered for him over something, it’s no big deal-” 

That was a mistake. 

Her face looks hurt again, a little offended and defensive at the same time and JJ braces himself. 

“I think it is a big deal, actually. Two of my best friends are secretly breaking the law and usually that wouldn’t phase me but y’all didn’t tell me about it, which scares the fuck outta me. And my other best friend is off doing who knows what while I’m at some stupid fucking Kook party, pretending everythings fine while not knowing what the hell is happening, not knowing why you’re even here or why Pope is literally losing his shit-’

“Kie-” he knew the tone in her voice, one that would put anyone on edge just by listening to it, the same one that indicated she was so far from okay. 

“It is a big fucking deal, JJ! Okay?” She runs a hand along her neck where her necklaces sat, a rushed nervous gesture, looking between JJ and the house. Her voice has started to shake but she was never one to hold back so she goes on unapologetically. “Because if you would’ve just told me before all this shit went down, we could’ve figured something out, we- we could’ve done something to fix it, to fix all this-” 

“Kie, stop-” 

“I know it’s all a mess right now but you literally just got carried off and I didn’t know what to think, or when and if you’d be back-” 

“Kiara.” 

JJ’s hands hover over her shoulders before they carefully land on either side of her neck, forcing her to stop whatever she rightfully had built up and look at him, tears in her brown eyes as they peered back at him, the all too familiar look of worry on her soft features. 

He tries to keep the guilt off his face as he silently tells her it’s okay, knowing that he was the reason she was spiraling, alone in the dark. For half a second he feels shame at forgetting she cared so much, for forgetting how she got caught up in things against her will and became sensitive when it came to these kinds of things. 

He forces a confidence he didn’t quite feel in his voice, reassuring her as best he could. “Slow down, okay? I’m fine, see?” He holds out his arms as if to show her so, “I’m right here.” 

She finally takes him in, as if letting herself believe he really is okay, just shaking her head in the way that always made her look somehow older, more mature and wise, like a mother losing years on her life worrying about her children. It’s cute as hell but JJ refrains from dwelling on the fact because suddenly she’s hugging him again, this time as if he’s about to be pulled away from her any second and to JJ, maybe it’s from all the punches and shoves he’s taken over the last twenty-four hours, but her arms feel indescribably nice. So nice that he fully reciprocates the sincerity, letting himself indulge in the comfort, hoping it wouldn’t end anytime soon. 

It’s a funny thought, because of course it would end. He knew that. Even as he heard her sniff miserably into his shirt, he knew that. It was just hard to acknowledge at this particular moment and he ignores the fact that it’s not the first time he’s felt like this in her arms. 

Probably wouldn’t be the last, either. 

His whole body just hurt, his hands still feeling tingly, his legs weak and his head dizzy but he actually believed it when he told her it was going to be okay. He usually only said it to lift some of the heaviness from a moment, feeling allergic to minutes that tended to crawl by from the emotions they carried but he meant it this time. 

And it felt good to mean it.

“Dammit, JJ.” she slowly pulls away, wiping one of her eyes with the heel of her hand, giving him a shy smile that leaves him a little dazed. Her long sigh turns into a breathless giggle as she reaches out and readjusts his bowtie. 

“You almost look like a Kook.” 

He bites his lip, glancing back at the party to distract himself from the way she was looking at him, welcoming eyes and warm smirk and all. 

“Don’t worry, you won’t catch me like this after tonight.” 

She shrugs, turning towards the water where a soft breeze blows a strand of her hair out from her flower crown. 

“It’s kinda cute.” 

He raises his eyebrows, “Yeah? You into Kooks now?”

“Hell no.” Her eyes darted over to the glow of the party, making a disgusted face that he knew was unconscious. “And I said almost. Just take the compliment, will ya?” 

He smiles at her slight sheepishness. “Oh, it’s already gone straight to my head.”

“Yeah right.” 

“You know you don’t look half bad either. We should dress up like Kooks more often.” 

She lets out an incredulous laugh, “No thanks! You’re not the one wearing the dress. Or the heels.” 

He giggles, allowing himself a moment of studying the dress again. “Did your mom pick it out?”

“I didn’t really care enough to do it myself, so yeah.” She throws an arm over his shoulder as they make their way back to the house. Usually there was about a two inch difference but with her heels she was nearly level with him. 

They both spot John B and Pope at the same time, jogging over to them as their faces light up. As they get closer, John B holds his arms out before throwing his hand up in a salute. 

“Colonel.” JJ mirrors the gesture, standing in front of his friend who had a mile wide grin on his face. 

“Captain.”

“Mission accomplished, sir.” JJ assumes Vlad’s meeting with Val went well, judging from his friend's overall lightness, so his very next thought is getting as far away from the place as they possibly could. They all needed to catch each other up anyways, as he’s now learned. 

“Mandatory power hour at Rixon’s!” He skips backwards, pointing at Pope, who was currently trying to escape his dad. “You too, Pope. Kie, c’mon! Rixon’s Cove, let’s roll!”

Kiara’s parents have found her but she’s slipping away almost just as fast, shouting out apologies, same as Pope, and turning to run towards the boys. 

The sight puts a smile on JJ’s face and he feels the giddiness that came after they all spent time apart from each other, when they finally met up after a few days and he could finally feel himself again. He’ll never get tired of it. 

And it felt so natural, opening his arms just as Kiara found him, feeling her hold on tight as he swung both of them around with the momentum, leaving both of them giggling and out of breath like the kids they were. He knew people were watching, giving them disapproving looks but JJ did what he did best and blocked them out, feeling Kiara lean heavily into his side for balance. It gave him a high he didn’t expect to wear off anytime soon and as he glanced over at John B and Pope, he couldn’t help but invite in the optimism he had felt earlier, not knowing when it would wear off either but not letting himself dwell on it. 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. John B was written to be pretty awful towards the second half of the season and honestly I usually write him how I believe he would've been if he were more consistently portrayed, which is nicer than in this fic. I love the kid and there are definitely some admirable traits but they seem to get lost in translation, if they're even considered at all. I think we just need to see more of him and hopefully he's a better friend next season.  
> 2\. Midsummers was so iconic. I love writing about it. I hope we get something similar next season. End of story.  
> 3\. Poor JJ.  
> 4\. I love comments and thoughts :)
> 
> tumblr: chestnutblondehead


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